Published: Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 6:41 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 6:41 p.m.

RALEIGH – Some teams want to win. Others expect to win. The really good teams, however, don’t leave it up to hope, faith or any other emotion. They simply go out onto the court and refuse to take no for an answer.

Saturday at PNC Arena, N.C. State’s long-suffering basketball team finally raised its game to that desired level.

The Wolfpack answered every challenge, made every big shot and for a change didn’t wilt under the pressure in scoring an 84-76 upset of top-ranked Duke.

It was a victory that accomplished a great deal more than just sending a large portion of the sellout crowd onto the court in celebration and validating, at least for now, State’s standing as the preseason team to beat in the ACC. It also marked yet another major milestone in transformation of State’s resurgent program under second-year coach Mark Gottfried.

“If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best,” senior forward Scott Wood said after the game, and the joyous crush of humanity that followed. “That’s the bottom line.”

<p>RALEIGH – Some teams want to win. Others expect to win. The really good teams, however, don't leave it up to hope, faith or any other emotion. They simply go out onto the court and refuse to take no for an answer.</p><p>Saturday at PNC Arena, N.C. State's long-suffering basketball team finally raised its game to that desired level.</p><p>The Wolfpack answered every challenge, made every big shot and for a change didn't wilt under the pressure in scoring an 84-76 upset of top-ranked Duke.</p><p>It was a victory that accomplished a great deal more than just sending a large portion of the sellout crowd onto the court in celebration and validating, at least for now, State's standing as the preseason team to beat in the ACC. It also marked yet another major milestone in transformation of State's resurgent program under second-year coach Mark Gottfried.</p><p>“If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best,” senior forward Scott Wood said after the game, and the joyous crush of humanity that followed. “That's the bottom line.”</p><p><a href=http://acc.blogs.starnewsonline.com/34394/wolfpack-refuses-to-take-no-for-an-answer-against-top-ranked-duke/>Read more here.</a></p>